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04-10-2020, 04:42 PM | #31 |
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I'll cover ep. 3 first.
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Then there's the Grongi third of the episode, which pushes things in even crazier directions. There's a lot of deliberately jarring cinematography going on, as we're introduced to a whole batch of new Grongi who will take their turns in the spotlight as time goes on. We see them awkwardly beginning to blend into society, despite some hiccups, like one who doesn't quite get how currency works. I mean, I guess he had the basics down? You hold money in front of people and expect good things to happen. That's right, right? The Grongi are an unusual lot, is the point, and that comes across super clearly. Having them only speak in their own language at first was one of those decisions born out of Kuuga's desire for realism, but rather than make the show more dull and colorless, it's actually super entertaining in its own right. Don't get me wrong, villains who make grand speeches about conquering the world once a week are great too, but the way Kuuga just goes for it, and has scenes of these characters speaking actual, thought out dialogue based on their unique personalities and positions, entirely in a constructed language the staff actually took the time to have someone think out, it's awesome. It's fun guessing at what they're saying based on implication and body language. Makes them feel more human. Which is only right, because this episode also confirms their blood is nearly identical to that of humans. Huh. At any rate, Ichijou's plotline naturally crosses over with them when he goes out to investigate, and meets up with both Gooma again, as well as some lady with roses who he probably won't interact with that much.
Minori is really in blood with Yuusuke for taking care of the childs. And have to give credit to Joe Odagiri because that's the guy who's dismissive towards toku, including this role. And for his battle at the end, it's satisfying to see an opponent being realistic to interrupt his henshin pose (like in my review before! posing for henshin is maybe not good... I know I know it's meditation, a bit jokey here), but it's NOT enough to stop the hero where his armor still forms and protects; a real advantage when your Rider's powers are within instead of coming from device (never have a feud against gimmicks, but still a real advantage). Also Yuusuke possesses good physical too aside from being a Rider by climbing up his house, can help as a fighter too. |
04-10-2020, 04:55 PM | #32 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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EPISODE 5: "Distance"
This episode opens up with a triple threat of new supporting characters. First comes the glorious introduction of Jean, a character I love because of his remarkable unremarkability. He's got that righteous normal guy energy at all times, and always seems slightly off in his own world, just happy to be around. It makes him into a total enigma. You know, like what are his hobbies? Does he collect postage stamps? He seems like a guy who would collect postage stamps. After the opening, it's finally time to meet Pops, and what more perfect introduction could he receive than boring Ichijou to death with a story while he waits for Yuusuke to show up at Pole Pole? Naturally, Ichijou is out the door the second he sees Yuusuke, and together they go to meet someone much more charismatic. Tsubaki is probably my favorite member of Kuuga's extended supporting cast. Extraordinarily useful to the plot, but also quirky enough to be more than a simple device for exposition. Although make no mistake, he's great at exposition. This episode makes it explicit that there's little functional difference between Yuusuke's body and those of the Grongi, and further establishes that his belt is gradually fusing with him, which could present some problems in the future. For now, though, it's just making Yuusuke awesome at fighting monsters, especially in his right leg, for some reason. That last bit of information probably won't amount to anything, though. The main emotional thread for this two-parter is Sakurako's concern for Yuusuke's safety. Again, his childlike enthusiasm has a tendency to make him look reckless, so I don't blame her for being upset when she finds out that not only did Ichijou not stop him from fighting last episode, he gave him a fancy bike and sent him on his way. Yuusuke tries to explain that he fights as Kuuga because he's the only one who can, but it's not much help. Sakurako loses the will to keep deciphering the ancient texts (not helped by an inappropriately timed comment from Jean), and while Yuusuke is confident she just needs some time to think about it, that's where we leave everyone, since the last seven minutes of the episode are all about the action. There's a truly egregious sequence of Yuusuke riding to the scene of the crime on his bike that lasts a full minute, that feels an awful lot like padding, and is also awesome. Look, I'm just not going to say no to any amount of a Kamen Rider on their bike. I long for the days when it was even possible to say "hey, maybe it'd be okay if there was a little less bike action in this episode". Plus, it does serve the purpose of showing off the Try Chaser's ability to shift into an on-brand Kuuga color scheme. Can't say I've ever understood how that works, but it's a cool visual. Brings to mind the extra bits of the Cyclone popping out back in the old days. You know what, just to prove my point, I'm gonna pad out this very post with screenshots of this scene, and I defy you to tell me you can't hear those sweet guitar riffs in your head just looking at them. Once Kuuga manages to eventually get where he's going, he makes another sweet hero entrance catching a cop who was just thrown off a building by our bad guy for these episodes, Zu-Badzuu-Ba. He's one of the particularly memorable monsters from Kuuga, on account of being the grasshopper one. Er, well, a grasshopper one, anyway. His design deliberately incorporates classic Rider elements like the scarf, and the tears beneath the eyes, and I believe his human form's funky hairdo is actually directly inspired by Shoutarou Ishinomori's own? It's a whole lot of Showa goodness packed into one monster design, and even if you don't care for the significance of this show being cocky enough this early on to have its hero go up against a villain representing the franchise's roots (which I assure you was more cheeky fun than pointed jab), just as a villain, he gets the job done great. Using his grasshopper leaps to take people up to high places and then throw them off is brutal, and you can tell throughout his fight with Kuuga how much he's enjoying himself. You want to see him get taken down a peg, but to do that, Kuuga's gonna need some mad hops of his own. Which means it's time for our first form change! Dragon Form's debut is yet another example of Kuuga's desire to break rules resulting in a way more entertaining show. There's still that sense of wonder at what these mysterious new powers represent, but it starts getting undercut from the second Yuusuke utters his nonchalant reaction of "I turned blue!". The idea that Yuusuke has zero clue what's going on adds such an extra dimension to the scene. He has to work out what the details of this new form are through trial and error, and as it turns out, he can't do it fast enough. Rather than this new piece of merchandise immediately being the key to a heroic turnaround, it actually just throws him off, resulting in Badzuu easily overpowering him, giving Kuuga the same treatment as all his other victims: tossed from a skyscraper for the trouble. It's a heck of a way to end an episode. THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER This one keeps things simple. Total thumbs up count: 11+1 = 12 EPISODE 6: "Azure Dragon" Okay, so first off, about the title. I'd like to clarify real quick that seiryuu is one word in Japanese, so the episode naming scheme is totally intact. What's a lot less intact is Yuusuke, who's in the hospital after the beating he took from Badzuu. As soon as Sakurako is informed of this, she naturally rushes over to see him... only to find him on his way out, smiling and assuring her he's fine. Tsubaki begs to differ, saying that even with his enhanced strength, his injuries shouldn't be healed this fast. Sure enough, the next we see of Yuusuke, he's not looking so hot. So right there, it's official. Yuusuke downplays his own problems to avoid worrying the people he cares about. The guy says he's fine, and barely manages to drag himself to a bed to pass out on. This scene makes it even more believable when Ichijou admits to Sakruako that the reason he let Yuusuke go was because he realized there was no stopping him even if he tried, because he realizes they're similar. Just a few episodes ago, we did, in fact, see Ichijou pull this exact stunt. So kudos to the show for taking these two characters that are purpose-built foils to one another, and still making that line from Ichijou land. They legitimately do have a lot of similarities for how different they are. Sakurako is still freaking out a bit over everything that's happening, especially since those fears are turning out to be justifiable. A conversation with Minori sets her straight though. She gets to vent that she realizes it's selfish of her to try and avoid everything happening, and Minori tells her to just think and act how she normally would, which is almost identical to Yuusuke's own advice in the previous episode. It actually really helps sell that these two are siblings, and you've gotta love how gentle they are when it comes to advice. Minori's immediate response to Sakurako saying she wants to run away is "That's fine!" I don't think it's possible to get any less pushy than that. Sakurako gets back to work, trying to decipher anything helpful about Kuuga's new powers, which is a good thing, too, because Pops' advice on choosing sauces for curry, while a surprisingly adequate summation of how form-changing heroes work, isn't gonna be much help to poor Yuusuke. Especially not when he's already out there getting beat up again. Sakurako figures out that Dragon Form is supposed to use long objects as weapons, but in all the carnage, Ichijou is unable to answer his phone, meaning she has to go into action herself to relay the message. This is just a super smart narrative decision. Her character arc for these episodes, learning to do the thing only she can, is basically over already, but obviously it wouldn't be that satisfying for the climax of that to be her sitting in a chair. It's dynamic and interesting to see her speeding to the scene on a moped, even busting through a police barricade to get there in time. The fact that she's explicitly heading directly into the danger also nicely underscores the fact that she's no longer scared. It's a very solid resolution to the plotline, and the resulting fight with Dragon Form is short but sweet. Especially thanks to the killer jazz fusion background music, which is a nice change of pace from all the hard rock. This is a strong episode that does a great job showing that even though Kuuga fights alone, he's never *alone*. THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER It's around this point that it starts to become apparent how big Yuusuke's influence on people is. Total thumbs up count: 12+5 = 17
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Last edited by Fish Sandwich; 04-06-2023 at 05:34 PM.. |
04-10-2020, 05:07 PM | #33 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,465
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With you going into that bike sequence in episode 5, I guess now's as good a time as any to talk about the aspect of Kuuga that I appreciated most, and something few other Rider shows have managed to nail for me; Atmosphere.
I actually really appreciate slower moments in action-heavy shows, and that sequence, alongside other bits and pieces across the show like the various Grongi talks, really helped to draw me into the mood and the world that Kuuga put alot of effort into building up. Like, not saying Kuuga's' plot is super complex or anything, but I was genuinely engaged in just how things were progressing thanks to that atmosphere. It's something a handful of other Rider shows don't nail nearly as well, IMO. |
04-10-2020, 05:52 PM | #34 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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EPISODE 5: "Distance"
This episode opens up with a triple threat of new supporting characters. First comes the glorious introduction of Jean, a character I love because of his remarkable unremarkability. He's got that righteous normal guy energy at all times, and always seems slightly off in his own world, just happy to be there. It makes him into a total enigma. You know, like what are his hobbies? Does he collect stamps? He seems like a guy who would collect stamps. I don't usually comment on fight scenes because I often don't have much to say beyond "that was cool and I liked it", I tend to save all my analysis for the emotion in the action than the action itself. But something fun Dragon Form introduces here is Kuuga getting his weapons by transforming similar-shaped objects -- he gets dedicated ones for his next two, but with Dragon Form especially it was always very fun seeing him get creating trying to find something to turn into his lance. Er, rod? Spear? The long thing! I don't harbour any real dislike for "Rider Pulls His Weapon Out Of Nowhere", but this extra practicality and creativity did add something neat for me.
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04-10-2020, 06:54 PM | #35 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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First comes the glorious introduction of Jean, a character I love because of his remarkable unremarkability. He's got that righteous normal guy energy at all times, and always seems slightly off in his own world, just happy to be there. It makes him into a total enigma. You know, like what are his hobbies? Does he collect stamps? He seems like a guy who would collect stamps.
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I mean, other than Jean, who definitely existed in Ancient Kuuga times because he has existed as long as there's been a word for "uncomfortable".
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Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
04-10-2020, 06:55 PM | #36 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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I don't know if we're that iconic. At best, I might be the newest rival to/of Fish, alongside any number of past posters who've ground their teeth at some stance he took. Speaking of!
Uh, no. No, Jean does not seem like he collects stamps. Jean seems like he collects awkward reactions, and tiny pieces of people's souls. Jean collects unease. Jean collects minutes of my life I will never get back.
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04-10-2020, 07:05 PM | #37 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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See, that's exactly why I'm not sure how the bike changing colors works. It's tempting to assume it's like Mighty Form's version of creating a weapon, but the way the episode goes out of its way to show Kuuga flipping some switches makes it seem like they're saying the bike has some kind of built-in color changing feature, and if that's the kind of miracle technology the police were loading the TryChaser with, it's really no wonder why they couldn't mass-produce the thing.
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04-10-2020, 07:11 PM | #38 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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See, that's exactly why I'm not sure how the bike changing colors works. It's tempting to assume it's like Mighty Form's version of creating a weapon, but the way the episode goes out of its way to show Kuuga flipping some switches makes it seem like they're saying the bike has some kind of built-in color changing feature, and if that's the kind of miracle technology the police were loading the TryChaser with, it's really no wonder why they couldn't mass-produce the thing.
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04-10-2020, 07:42 PM | #39 |
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: By a computer in MD
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Kuuga form change woo! Easily one of the best things about Kuuga is how they handled form changes. Instead of all of them being there from the beginning or just being power ups, all of Kuuga's forms are meant for different situations and have advantages and drawbacks.
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04-11-2020, 10:41 AM | #40 |
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
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I know probably you won't reply to all like the previous one, but I just want to balance my focus for KR series like Ryuki in Die's thread too.
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Kuuga form change woo! Easily one of the best things about Kuuga is how they handled form changes. Instead of all of them being there from the beginning or just being power ups, all of Kuuga's forms are meant for different situations and have advantages and drawbacks.
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Dragon Form's debut is yet another example of Kuuga's desire to break rules resulting in a way more entertaining show. There's still that sense of wonder at what these mysterious new powers represent, but it starts getting undercut from the second Yuusuke utters his nonchalant reaction of "I turned blue!". The idea that Yuusuke has zero clue what's going on adds such an extra dimension to the scene. He has to work out what the details of this new form are through trial and error, and as it turns out, he can't do it fast enough. Rather than this new piece of merchandise immediately being the key to a heroic turnaround, it actually just throws him off, resulting in Badzuu easily overpowering him, giving Kuuga the same treatment as all his other victims: thrown off a skyscraper for the trouble. It's a heck of a way to end an episode.
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This is one of my favorite Kamen Rider episodes ever. It's got everything. When "the main character gets shot at by cops" is only the start of the story, you know you've got something special. This episode is about a lot of things, but mostly, it's about speed. So much speed.
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The basic idea here is that Zu-Mebio-Da (that's the leopard one!) runs fast as s***, and going into the episode, there's nothing anyone can do to stop her, which is bad news, since she got shot in the eye at the start, and is now going around murdering cops for revenge. Yuusuke tries his best, but he kinda lost his last bike in a church fire, and the police bike he, er, "borrows" proves to be less than up to the challenge. Especially once it's put up against the dreaded enemy of all motorcycles... stairs!
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Later on, Sakurako calls Ichijou in an effort to stop Yuusuke from getting in harm's way, saying he has much the same habit, which Ichijou clearly takes note of. The two end up in a squad car together, and the conversation they have marks a turning point in their relationship.
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The answer is obvious though. This is the fourth episode, and we've had Yuuske on a bike, and we've had Kuuga, but don't you think it's about time we have Kuuga on a bike? Ichijou sure thinks so, giving Yuusuke the super-duper awesome prototype police motorcycle, the one, the only, TryChaser 2000. To her credit, Mebio is smart enough to try taking advantage of the dreaded staircase once more, but she failed to account for one thing: stairs don't mean s*** to Kuuga now.
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I think it's very important to take a second to give credit to Takumi Narita, the actual, legit motorcycle trial rider responsible for the insane stuntwork you see when Kuuga's on his bike. Once Yuusuke hops on that thing, he only gets off it to ask a cop he saved if he's okay (good hero moment!), and then hops right back on to basically see how much stuff he can climb up and down without getting off.
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Again, to her credit, Mebio makes it a point to rip Kuuga off the bike as soon as she gets the chance, but it doesn't help too much. I mean, he was already pretty awesome without it. He takes her out with a slightly fancier weird kick move than the last time (and his right foot is still burning for some reason I'm sure doesn't matter), and the episode ends with some great payoffs, like the cop Kuuga saved earlier backing up Ichijou when he tells everyone not to shoot Kuuga, and of course, the very end, with Ichijou expressing his approval of a job well done by his new unofficial partner. This is some all-time classic stuff right here.
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After the opening, it's finally time to meet Pops, and what more perfect introduction could he receive than boring Ichijou to death with a story while he waits for Yuusuke to show up at Pole Pole? Naturally, Ichijou is out the door the second he sees Yuusuke, and together they go to meet someone much more charismatic. Tsubaki is probably my favorite member of Kuuga's extended supporting cast. Extraordinarily useful to the plot, but also quirky enough to be more than a simple device for exposition. Although make no mistake, he's great at exposition. This episode makes it explicit that there's little functional difference between Yuusuke's body and those of the Grongi, and further establishes that his belt is gradually fusing with him, which could present some problems in the future. For now, though, it's just making Yuusuke awesome at fighting monsters, especially in his right leg, for some reason. That last bit of information probably won't amount to anything, though.
Quote:
The main emotional thread for this two-parter is Sakurako's concern for Yuusuke's safety. Again, his childlike enthusiasm has a tendency to make him look reckless, so I don't blame her for being upset when she finds out that not only did Ichijou not stop him from fighting last episode, he gave him a fancy bike and sent him on his way.
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What's a lot less intact is Yuusuke, who's in the hospital after the beating he took from Badzuu. As soon as Sakurako is informed of this, she naturally rushes over to see him... only to find him on his way out, smiling and assuring her he's fine. Tsubaki begs to differ, saying that even with his enhanced strength, his injuries shouldn't be healed this fast. Sure enough, the next we see of Yuusuke, he's not looking so hot.
Not good Yuusuke, you probably should've enough manners not to do that... unless Yuusuke collapsed and Pops brought him on bed. Quote:
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Sakurako gets back to work, trying to decipher anything helpful about Kuuga's new powers, which is a good thing, too, because Pops' advice on the situation, while a perfectly adequate summation of how form-changing heroes work, isn't gonna be much help to poor Yuusuke. Especially not when he's already out there getting beat up again. Sakurako figures out that Dragon Form is supposed to use long objects as weapons, but in all the carnage, Ichijou is unable to answer his phone, meaning she has to go into action herself to relay the message.
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But for Ryuki 28, Die is the one with unpopular opinions of hating that episode. Last edited by DreadBringer; 04-11-2020 at 10:44 AM.. |
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